This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen
on .
It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
Coronavirus Australia live update: reports Victoria has almost 500 new Covid cases as investigation into St Basil's aged care launched
Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria premier Daniel Andrews expected to announce almost 500 new Covid cases in press conference
(32 minutes later)
Victorian coroner announces inquiry into St Basil’s deaths and ACT tells residents to be prepared for facemasks to be made mandatory. Follow live updates
Scott Morrison says unemployment is forecast to rise to 13% and Victorian coroner announces inquiry into St Basil’s deaths. Follow live updates
Daniel Andrews will hold his presser at noonish - so the news can’t be too terrible today.
What about that threat from malicious state-based actors Scott Morrison warned of not so long ago - the one with no detail, and was basically just a press conference for China? (not so long ago could be yesterday or last year the way time moves at the moment, but this particular not-so-long ago was mid-June)
Morrison:
How much of the new strategy is about China?
Scott Morrison:
Who should be worried about these new powers, Peter Dutton is asked:
You can find the cybersecurity announcement here:
Scott Morrison:
Scott Morrison has announced the Treasury estimates of the impact of the Victorian stage four lockdown to the national economy.
Scott Morrison has also, once again, encouraged other Australians to give their Victorian friends and family a call to ask how they are.
I urge you to only do this, if you know your friends and family will appreciate a call - sometimes, the constant emotional labour of telling people you are OK, or re-assuring them you are coping can be crippling in of itself.
Stay in contact by all means - but do it on your loved one’s terms - and tailor it to them, not yourself.
Scott Morrison:
Scott Morrison says he has asked for additional support for Victorians dealing with the stage four lockdown:
Scott Morrison has begun his press conference - which is on the new cybersecurity plan (we know this because he holds up the shiny brochure on it) but starts on Victoria:
NSW has maintained its current numbers for coronavirus, recording another 12 new cases in the past 24 hours.
Daniel Andrews will hold his presser at noonish, so the news can’t be too terrible today.
Gyms are back in the ACT
Gyms are back in the ACT
The prime minister is up first though - he’ll be holding a press conference at 11.30
The prime minister is up first, though. He’ll be holding a press conference at 11.30am.
Greg Hunt will give a Covid update today, from Melbourne.
Greg Hunt will give a Covid update today, from Melbourne.
That will be at 1.15pm
That will be at 1.15pm
Here is the whole statement on the Victorian coroner’s decision:
For those asking questions about what the requirement for NSW residents returning from Victoria to quarantine in a hotel means for non-Sydneysiders, it’s important to note that the rule was announced before NSW Health had finalised the details of the public health order.
Announced by Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday, a day after the state opposition leader Jodi McKay called for it, the relevant ministers did not answer the Guardian’s specific questions about how the mandatory hotel requirement would work for non-Sydney residents.
A NSW Health spokeswoman told the Guardian the healthy authority “is undertaking the process of making changes to the public health order to implement these decisions, the details of which will be made public when finalised”.
Further clarification on the mandatory hotel quarantine for residents returning from Victoria is expected before the measure comes into effect from 12:01am on Friday (tomorrow).
What we do know from Wednesday’s announcement:
-NSW residents returning from Victoria will have to pay for their two week hotel quarantine, like an international arrival would.
-Only Sydney airport will accept flights from Victoria, where NSW Health teams will test and interview arrivals, and divert them to hotels.
-The NSW government will also “further limit the reasons” for approving entry permits into the state from Victoria.
-The NSW government says there is “no change to existing arrangements for border communities”
What is unclear:
-If residents of border communities returning from beyond the Victoria border zone (which invalidates the specific permits for people who work, study or require medical treatment across the border) will have to quarantine at hotels when they cross over.
-If non-Sydney and non-border residents returning from Victoria would have to quarantine at hotels in the state capital, or if they can land in Sydney, wait for their connecting flight to a regional airport, and quarantine at a hotel in their home town.
Under existing rules, residents have been allowed to self-isolate at their homes after returning from Victoria, however the NSW government said it had acted on health advice to introduce the new rule, noting Victoria’s rising Covid-19 case numbers.
Here is the article from yesterday on this situation.
ACT Health has announced it is opening up the territory - but to prepare for facemasks to be made mandatory:
Based on the ACT’s current COVID numbers and the efforts of NSW authorities to manage localised outbreaks, Chief Health Officer Dr Coleman has determined that some remaining businesses and activities can recommence under strict COVID guidelines from 9:00am Monday 10 August.
However, there are other elements of the ACT’s easing of restrictions roadmap that will not be implemented at this time.
These relate to large gatherings and changes to the 1 person per four square metre guideline in some settings. This guideline continues to be an important part of the control measures we have in place to reduce the risk of infection.
The ACT Government will continue implementing the advice from our health experts on the most effective ways to keep our city safe.
The pandemic is not over, and the virus will be a part of our lives for quite some time. There will be further outbreaks in cities and towns all over the country, and we will continue to ask for the community’s support in reducing the risk of outbreaks spreading.
What will go a long way to keeping our community safe is for all Canberrans to maintain the measures we know work best to lower the risk of infection.
The most effective actions continue to be physical distancing, good hand hygiene and staying at home if you are unwell and getting tested for any COVID-19 symptoms.
The fourth line of defence is face masks – particularly for those who are unable to physically distance in their daily activities.
We are now advising Canberrans to be ready for a time when the Chief Health Officer may recommend wearing face masks in the ACT.
A further sensible precaution is to avoid crowds. We all have a responsibility to reduce crowding in public areas, shops and queues.
As part of living with the virus, we are implementing COVID-safe ways to support economic activity and protect as many local jobs as possible.
There are further steps in our recovery plan, such as capacity limits for smaller venues, that will be assessed again in a fortnight.
This seemed inevitable.
A-League fans who were at Newcastle Jets’ game against Western United at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday have been put on alert, after a second positive Covid-19 case was detected in the city.
A man in his 20s, believed to be a close contact of the teenager who tested positive in the Hunter region on Wednesday, attended the fixture and Hunter New England Health has urged other people in the 2,570-strong crowd to monitor their health.
If any symptoms develop, they have been encouraged to get tested and self-isolate immediately.
It is the first time since the resumption of professional sport in front of limited crowds that a person in attendance has tested positive for the virus.
NSW Health has issued this alert – if you are in the Newcastle area, or have been out and about in Newcastle, have a look at these venues:
Employment and skills department officials are before the Senate Covid-19 inquiry.
Labor’s Kristina Keneally is probing what the components of the “jobmaker” plan, announced by Scott Morrison at the National Press Club, actually are.
Nadine Williams, the deputy secretary of skills and training, said the jobmaker plan had “elements of training”, including the jobtrainer package, and negotiations with states and territories to reform the way skills training was delivered.
Asked what the difference between jobmaker and jobtrainer is, Williams replied: “My understanding is it’s largely the same thing – both relate to skills.”
Williams adds there are other initiatives in jobmaker overseen by other departments, such as the arts and entertainment industry support package administered by the industry department. The other elements include caring for country (environment portfolio) and negotiating trade agreements (DFAT). She’s now clarified, then, that jobmaker and jobtrainer are NOT the same thing, although jobtrainer is part of jobmaker.
Keneally describes the label jobmaker as “amorphous” - and is now quoting Morrison rhetoric from the Press Club speech including “making the boat go faster”.
The Victorian figures are coming out ahead of the official announcement – the ABC has reported 470 cases are expected to be announced today.
I’ve been getting a few questions from NSW residents worried about flights coming from Victoria into NSW regional airports, such as Tamworth and Orange, given the new mandatory hotel quarantine rules.
My understanding is Sydney is the one port of entry for those flights once the new rules kick in, but we are double checking.
You can fly from Sydney to a regional NSW airport – but Victorian flights should all be diverted to Sydney, where hotel quarantine will take place.
We’ll get back to you.
As this deleted tweet from Mathias Cormann shows, dumbing down discourse on complex matters can come back to bite.
(Although given the purge on that account, it looks like it is part of the yearly delete feature – which is something many, many people do.)
